diff --git a/src/compiletest/header.rs b/src/compiletest/header.rs
index 28bbbda9663..7e617aa0006 100644
--- a/src/compiletest/header.rs
+++ b/src/compiletest/header.rs
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ pub fn is_test_ignored(config: config, testfile: &Path) -> bool {
     return false;
 
     fn xfail_target() -> ~str {
-        ~"xfail-" + str::from_slice(os::SYSNAME)
+        ~"xfail-" + str::to_owned(os::SYSNAME)
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/compiletest/runtest.rs b/src/compiletest/runtest.rs
index 33f6dd36161..62c2612f2dd 100644
--- a/src/compiletest/runtest.rs
+++ b/src/compiletest/runtest.rs
@@ -371,7 +371,7 @@ fn check_expected_errors(expected_errors: ~[errors::ExpectedError],
             was_expected = true;
         }
 
-        if !was_expected && is_compiler_error_or_warning(str::from_slice(line)) {
+        if !was_expected && is_compiler_error_or_warning(str::to_owned(line)) {
             fatal_ProcRes(fmt!("unexpected compiler error or warning: '%s'",
                                line),
                           ProcRes);
@@ -596,7 +596,7 @@ fn make_lib_name(config: config, auxfile: &Path, testfile: &Path) -> Path {
 
 fn make_exe_name(config: config, testfile: &Path) -> Path {
     Path(output_base_name(config, testfile).to_str() +
-            str::from_slice(os::EXE_SUFFIX))
+            str::to_owned(os::EXE_SUFFIX))
 }
 
 fn make_run_args(config: config, _props: TestProps, testfile: &Path) ->
diff --git a/src/libcore/io.rs b/src/libcore/io.rs
index 7fc2c2559c2..4ae7d1cdabd 100644
--- a/src/libcore/io.rs
+++ b/src/libcore/io.rs
@@ -711,7 +711,7 @@ impl<T:Reader> ReaderUtil for T {
     fn read_lines(&self) -> ~[~str] {
         do vec::build |push| {
             for self.each_line |line| {
-                push(str::from_slice(line));
+                push(str::to_owned(line));
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/libcore/os.rs b/src/libcore/os.rs
index 574618026d9..3a5b18e3b57 100644
--- a/src/libcore/os.rs
+++ b/src/libcore/os.rs
@@ -396,8 +396,8 @@ fn dup2(src: c_int, dst: c_int) -> c_int {
 
 
 pub fn dll_filename(base: &str) -> ~str {
-    return str::from_slice(DLL_PREFIX) + str::from_slice(base) +
-           str::from_slice(DLL_SUFFIX)
+    return str::to_owned(DLL_PREFIX) + str::to_owned(base) +
+           str::to_owned(DLL_SUFFIX)
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/libcore/path.rs b/src/libcore/path.rs
index a87fd90f4e2..ba95d1f4b5e 100644
--- a/src/libcore/path.rs
+++ b/src/libcore/path.rs
@@ -477,7 +477,7 @@ impl GenericPath for PosixPath {
     fn with_filestem(&self, s: &str) -> PosixPath {
         match self.filetype() {
           None => self.with_filename(s),
-          Some(ref t) => self.with_filename(str::from_slice(s) + *t)
+          Some(ref t) => self.with_filename(str::to_owned(s) + *t)
         }
     }
 
@@ -488,7 +488,7 @@ impl GenericPath for PosixPath {
               Some(ref s) => self.with_filename(*s)
             }
         } else {
-            let t = ~"." + str::from_slice(t);
+            let t = ~"." + str::to_owned(t);
             match self.filestem() {
               None => self.with_filename(t),
               Some(ref s) => self.with_filename(*s + t)
@@ -621,7 +621,7 @@ impl GenericPath for WindowsPath {
               None => {
                 host = None;
                 device = None;
-                rest = str::from_slice(s);
+                rest = str::to_owned(s);
               }
             }
           }
@@ -694,7 +694,7 @@ impl GenericPath for WindowsPath {
     fn with_filestem(&self, s: &str) -> WindowsPath {
         match self.filetype() {
           None => self.with_filename(s),
-          Some(ref t) => self.with_filename(str::from_slice(s) + *t)
+          Some(ref t) => self.with_filename(str::to_owned(s) + *t)
         }
     }
 
@@ -705,7 +705,7 @@ impl GenericPath for WindowsPath {
               Some(ref s) => self.with_filename(*s)
             }
         } else {
-            let t = ~"." + str::from_slice(t);
+            let t = ~"." + str::to_owned(t);
             match self.filestem() {
               None => self.with_filename(t),
               Some(ref s) =>
@@ -956,7 +956,7 @@ mod tests {
     fn test_posix_paths() {
         fn t(wp: &PosixPath, s: &str) {
             let ss = wp.to_str();
-            let sss = str::from_slice(s);
+            let sss = str::to_owned(s);
             if (ss != sss) {
                 debug!("got %s", ss);
                 debug!("expected %s", sss);
@@ -1014,7 +1014,7 @@ mod tests {
     fn test_normalize() {
         fn t(wp: &PosixPath, s: &str) {
             let ss = wp.to_str();
-            let sss = str::from_slice(s);
+            let sss = str::to_owned(s);
             if (ss != sss) {
                 debug!("got %s", ss);
                 debug!("expected %s", sss);
@@ -1077,7 +1077,7 @@ mod tests {
     fn test_windows_paths() {
         fn t(wp: &WindowsPath, s: &str) {
             let ss = wp.to_str();
-            let sss = str::from_slice(s);
+            let sss = str::to_owned(s);
             if (ss != sss) {
                 debug!("got %s", ss);
                 debug!("expected %s", sss);
diff --git a/src/libcore/str.rs b/src/libcore/str.rs
index 5ec6471ac4a..fc0cc730dea 100644
--- a/src/libcore/str.rs
+++ b/src/libcore/str.rs
@@ -78,21 +78,21 @@ pub fn from_bytes_slice<'a>(vector: &'a [u8]) -> &'a str {
 
 /// Copy a slice into a new unique str
 #[inline(always)]
-pub fn from_slice(s: &str) -> ~str {
+pub fn to_owned(s: &str) -> ~str {
     unsafe { raw::slice_bytes_owned(s, 0, len(s)) }
 }
 
 impl ToStr for ~str {
     #[inline(always)]
-    fn to_str(&self) -> ~str { from_slice(*self) }
+    fn to_str(&self) -> ~str { to_owned(*self) }
 }
 impl<'self> ToStr for &'self str {
     #[inline(always)]
-    fn to_str(&self) -> ~str { from_slice(*self) }
+    fn to_str(&self) -> ~str { to_owned(*self) }
 }
 impl ToStr for @str {
     #[inline(always)]
-    fn to_str(&self) -> ~str { from_slice(*self) }
+    fn to_str(&self) -> ~str { to_owned(*self) }
 }
 
 /**
@@ -511,7 +511,7 @@ Section: Transforming strings
  */
 pub fn to_bytes(s: &str) -> ~[u8] {
     unsafe {
-        let mut v: ~[u8] = ::cast::transmute(from_slice(s));
+        let mut v: ~[u8] = ::cast::transmute(to_owned(s));
         vec::raw::set_len(&mut v, len(s));
         v
     }
@@ -2141,7 +2141,7 @@ pub fn as_c_str<T>(s: &str, f: &fn(*libc::c_char) -> T) -> T {
         // NB: len includes the trailing null.
         assert!(len > 0);
         if unsafe { *(ptr::offset(buf,len-1)) != 0 } {
-            as_c_str(from_slice(s), f)
+            as_c_str(to_owned(s), f)
         } else {
             f(buf as *libc::c_char)
         }
@@ -2682,7 +2682,7 @@ impl<'self> StrSlice<'self> for &'self str {
 
 
     #[inline]
-    fn to_owned(&self) -> ~str { from_slice(*self) }
+    fn to_owned(&self) -> ~str { to_owned(*self) }
 
     #[inline]
     fn to_managed(&self) -> @str {
@@ -2722,7 +2722,7 @@ impl OwnedStr for ~str {
 impl Clone for ~str {
     #[inline(always)]
     fn clone(&self) -> ~str {
-        from_slice(*self)
+        to_owned(*self)
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libfuzzer/fuzzer.rc b/src/libfuzzer/fuzzer.rc
index 33e970c305a..c75dc2979f1 100644
--- a/src/libfuzzer/fuzzer.rc
+++ b/src/libfuzzer/fuzzer.rc
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ pub fn check_variants_T<T:Copy>(crate: @ast::crate,
     if L < 100 {
         do under(uint::min(L, 20)) |i| {
             error!("Replacing... #%?", uint::to_str(i));
-            let fname = str::from_slice(filename.to_str());
+            let fname = str::to_owned(filename.to_str());
             do under(uint::min(L, 30)) |j| {
                 let fname = fname.to_str();
                 error!("With... %?", stringifier(things[j], intr));
diff --git a/src/librustc/back/link.rs b/src/librustc/back/link.rs
index 3b5c90ec1f9..146b688ddc5 100644
--- a/src/librustc/back/link.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/back/link.rs
@@ -747,8 +747,8 @@ pub fn output_dll_filename(os: session::os, lm: LinkMeta) -> ~str {
         session::os_android => (android::DLL_PREFIX, android::DLL_SUFFIX),
         session::os_freebsd => (freebsd::DLL_PREFIX, freebsd::DLL_SUFFIX),
     };
-    return str::from_slice(dll_prefix) + libname +
-           str::from_slice(dll_suffix);
+    return str::to_owned(dll_prefix) + libname +
+           str::to_owned(dll_suffix);
 }
 
 // If the user wants an exe generated we need to invoke
diff --git a/src/librustc/driver/driver.rs b/src/librustc/driver/driver.rs
index cf77f81a492..d93a2ff59c0 100644
--- a/src/librustc/driver/driver.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/driver/driver.rs
@@ -91,9 +91,9 @@ pub fn default_configuration(sess: Session, argv0: @~str, input: &input) ->
     };
 
     return ~[ // Target bindings.
-         attr::mk_word_item(@str::from_slice(os::FAMILY)),
+         attr::mk_word_item(@str::to_owned(os::FAMILY)),
          mk(@~"target_os", @tos),
-         mk(@~"target_family", @str::from_slice(os::FAMILY)),
+         mk(@~"target_family", @str::to_owned(os::FAMILY)),
          mk(@~"target_arch", @arch),
          mk(@~"target_endian", @end),
          mk(@~"target_word_size", @wordsz),
@@ -648,7 +648,7 @@ pub fn build_session_options(binary: @~str,
     let linker_args = getopts::opt_strs(matches, ~"link-args").flat_map( |a| {
         let mut args = ~[];
         for str::each_split_char(*a, ' ') |arg| {
-            args.push(str::from_slice(arg));
+            args.push(str::to_owned(arg));
         }
         args
     });
diff --git a/src/librustc/metadata/filesearch.rs b/src/librustc/metadata/filesearch.rs
index 7547f7f763a..6d712881a56 100644
--- a/src/librustc/metadata/filesearch.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/metadata/filesearch.rs
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ pub fn mk_filesearch(maybe_sysroot: &Option<@Path>,
     @FileSearchImpl {
         sysroot: sysroot,
         addl_lib_search_paths: addl_lib_search_paths,
-        target_triple: str::from_slice(target_triple)
+        target_triple: str::to_owned(target_triple)
     } as @FileSearch
 }
 
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ pub fn search<T:Copy>(filesearch: @FileSearch, pick: pick<T>) -> Option<T> {
 
 pub fn relative_target_lib_path(target_triple: &str) -> Path {
     Path(libdir()).push_many([~"rustc",
-                              str::from_slice(target_triple),
+                              str::to_owned(target_triple),
                               libdir()])
 }
 
diff --git a/src/librustc/metadata/loader.rs b/src/librustc/metadata/loader.rs
index 193f6fc8f0a..6605f17739c 100644
--- a/src/librustc/metadata/loader.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/metadata/loader.rs
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ fn libname(cx: &Context) -> (~str, ~str) {
         os_freebsd => (freebsd::DLL_PREFIX, freebsd::DLL_SUFFIX),
     };
 
-    (str::from_slice(dll_prefix), str::from_slice(dll_suffix))
+    (str::to_owned(dll_prefix), str::to_owned(dll_suffix))
 }
 
 fn find_library_crate_aux(
diff --git a/src/librustc/middle/trans/base.rs b/src/librustc/middle/trans/base.rs
index 77a90e22150..391f68aeedc 100644
--- a/src/librustc/middle/trans/base.rs
+++ b/src/librustc/middle/trans/base.rs
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ impl get_insn_ctxt for @CrateContext {
     fn insn_ctxt(&self, s: &str) -> icx_popper {
         debug!("new insn_ctxt: %s", s);
         if self.sess.count_llvm_insns() {
-            self.stats.llvm_insn_ctxt.push(str::from_slice(s));
+            self.stats.llvm_insn_ctxt.push(str::to_owned(s));
         }
         icx_popper(*self)
     }
diff --git a/src/librustdoc/desc_to_brief_pass.rs b/src/librustdoc/desc_to_brief_pass.rs
index 40ff9b21829..278f77135f9 100644
--- a/src/librustdoc/desc_to_brief_pass.rs
+++ b/src/librustdoc/desc_to_brief_pass.rs
@@ -129,13 +129,13 @@ fn first_sentence_(s: &str) -> ~str {
     };
     match idx {
         Some(idx) if idx > 2u => {
-            str::from_slice(str::slice(s, 0, idx - 1))
+            str::to_owned(str::slice(s, 0, idx - 1))
         }
         _ => {
             if str::ends_with(s, ~".") {
-                str::from_slice(s)
+                str::to_owned(s)
             } else {
-                str::from_slice(s)
+                str::to_owned(s)
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/libstd/getopts.rs b/src/libstd/getopts.rs
index 9b754c4ec5d..f66b56381f0 100644
--- a/src/libstd/getopts.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/getopts.rs
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ pub struct Opt {
 }
 
 fn mkname(nm: &str) -> Name {
-    let unm = str::from_slice(nm);
+    let unm = str::to_owned(nm);
     return if nm.len() == 1u {
             Short(str::char_at(unm, 0u))
         } else { Long(unm) };
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ pub fn opt_default(mm: &Matches, nm: &str, def: &str) -> Option<~str> {
     let vals = opt_vals(mm, nm);
     if vec::len::<Optval>(vals) == 0u { return None::<~str>; }
     return match vals[0] { Val(copy s) => Some::<~str>(s),
-                           _      => Some::<~str>(str::from_slice(def)) }
+                           _      => Some::<~str>(str::to_owned(def)) }
 }
 
 #[deriving(Eq)]
@@ -481,10 +481,10 @@ pub mod groups {
                   desc: &str, hint: &str) -> OptGroup {
         let len = short_name.len();
         assert!(len == 1 || len == 0);
-        return OptGroup { short_name: str::from_slice(short_name),
-                long_name: str::from_slice(long_name),
-                hint: str::from_slice(hint),
-                desc: str::from_slice(desc),
+        return OptGroup { short_name: str::to_owned(short_name),
+                long_name: str::to_owned(long_name),
+                hint: str::to_owned(hint),
+                desc: str::to_owned(desc),
                 hasarg: Yes,
                 occur: Req};
     }
@@ -494,10 +494,10 @@ pub mod groups {
                   desc: &str, hint: &str) -> OptGroup {
         let len = short_name.len();
         assert!(len == 1 || len == 0);
-        return OptGroup {short_name: str::from_slice(short_name),
-                long_name: str::from_slice(long_name),
-                hint: str::from_slice(hint),
-                desc: str::from_slice(desc),
+        return OptGroup {short_name: str::to_owned(short_name),
+                long_name: str::to_owned(long_name),
+                hint: str::to_owned(hint),
+                desc: str::to_owned(desc),
                 hasarg: Yes,
                 occur: Optional};
     }
@@ -507,10 +507,10 @@ pub mod groups {
                    desc: &str) -> OptGroup {
         let len = short_name.len();
         assert!(len == 1 || len == 0);
-        return OptGroup {short_name: str::from_slice(short_name),
-                long_name: str::from_slice(long_name),
+        return OptGroup {short_name: str::to_owned(short_name),
+                long_name: str::to_owned(long_name),
                 hint: ~"",
-                desc: str::from_slice(desc),
+                desc: str::to_owned(desc),
                 hasarg: No,
                 occur: Optional};
     }
@@ -520,10 +520,10 @@ pub mod groups {
                       desc: &str, hint: &str) -> OptGroup {
         let len = short_name.len();
         assert!(len == 1 || len == 0);
-        return OptGroup {short_name: str::from_slice(short_name),
-                long_name: str::from_slice(long_name),
-                hint: str::from_slice(hint),
-                desc: str::from_slice(desc),
+        return OptGroup {short_name: str::to_owned(short_name),
+                long_name: str::to_owned(long_name),
+                hint: str::to_owned(hint),
+                desc: str::to_owned(desc),
                 hasarg: Maybe,
                 occur: Optional};
     }
@@ -536,10 +536,10 @@ pub mod groups {
                     desc: &str, hint: &str) -> OptGroup {
         let len = short_name.len();
         assert!(len == 1 || len == 0);
-        return OptGroup {short_name: str::from_slice(short_name),
-                long_name: str::from_slice(long_name),
-                hint: str::from_slice(hint),
-                desc: str::from_slice(desc),
+        return OptGroup {short_name: str::to_owned(short_name),
+                long_name: str::to_owned(long_name),
+                hint: str::to_owned(hint),
+                desc: str::to_owned(desc),
                 hasarg: Yes,
                 occur: Multi};
     }
@@ -648,7 +648,7 @@ pub mod groups {
             row
         });
 
-        return str::from_slice(brief)    +
+        return str::to_owned(brief)    +
                ~"\n\nOptions:\n"         +
                str::connect(rows, ~"\n") +
                ~"\n\n";
diff --git a/src/libstd/net_ip.rs b/src/libstd/net_ip.rs
index 758e7a5e6ca..58775c5f2e4 100644
--- a/src/libstd/net_ip.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/net_ip.rs
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ pub mod v4 {
             let input_is_inaddr_none =
                 result::get(&ip_rep_result).as_u32() == INADDR_NONE;
 
-            let new_addr = uv_ip4_addr(str::from_slice(ip), 22);
+            let new_addr = uv_ip4_addr(str::to_owned(ip), 22);
             let reformatted_name = uv_ip4_name(&new_addr);
             debug!("try_parse_addr: input ip: %s reparsed ip: %s",
                             ip, reformatted_name);
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@ pub mod v6 {
     pub fn try_parse_addr(ip: &str) -> result::Result<IpAddr,ParseAddrErr> {
         unsafe {
             // need to figure out how to establish a parse failure..
-            let new_addr = uv_ip6_addr(str::from_slice(ip), 22);
+            let new_addr = uv_ip6_addr(str::to_owned(ip), 22);
             let reparsed_name = uv_ip6_name(&new_addr);
             debug!("v6::try_parse_addr ip: '%s' reparsed '%s'",
                             ip, reparsed_name);
diff --git a/src/libstd/time.rs b/src/libstd/time.rs
index 31d8eb20a67..e731f679221 100644
--- a/src/libstd/time.rs
+++ b/src/libstd/time.rs
@@ -289,7 +289,7 @@ priv fn do_strptime(s: &str, format: &str) -> Result<Tm, ~str> {
 
         let mut i = 0u;
         while i < digits {
-            let range = str::char_range_at(str::from_slice(ss), pos);
+            let range = str::char_range_at(str::to_owned(ss), pos);
             pos = range.next;
 
             match range.ch {
@@ -628,7 +628,7 @@ priv fn do_strptime(s: &str, format: &str) -> Result<Tm, ~str> {
         }
     }
 
-    do io::with_str_reader(str::from_slice(format)) |rdr| {
+    do io::with_str_reader(str::to_owned(format)) |rdr| {
         let mut tm = Tm {
             tm_sec: 0_i32,
             tm_min: 0_i32,
@@ -840,7 +840,7 @@ priv fn do_strftime(format: &str, tm: &Tm) -> ~str {
 
     let mut buf = ~"";
 
-    do io::with_str_reader(str::from_slice(format)) |rdr| {
+    do io::with_str_reader(str::to_owned(format)) |rdr| {
         while !rdr.eof() {
             match rdr.read_char() {
                 '%' => buf += parse_type(rdr.read_char(), tm),
@@ -1022,7 +1022,7 @@ mod tests {
 
         fn test(s: &str, format: &str) -> bool {
             match strptime(s, format) {
-              Ok(ref tm) => tm.strftime(format) == str::from_slice(s),
+              Ok(ref tm) => tm.strftime(format) == str::to_owned(s),
               Err(copy e) => fail!(e)
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/libsyntax/ext/quote.rs b/src/libsyntax/ext/quote.rs
index 34a37e4f6b4..b1ec9643f4e 100644
--- a/src/libsyntax/ext/quote.rs
+++ b/src/libsyntax/ext/quote.rs
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ pub mod rt {
 
     impl<'self> ToSource for &'self str {
         fn to_source(&self, _cx: @ext_ctxt) -> ~str {
-            let lit = dummy_spanned(ast::lit_str(@str::from_slice(*self)));
+            let lit = dummy_spanned(ast::lit_str(@str::to_owned(*self)));
             pprust::lit_to_str(@lit)
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/struct-order-of-eval-1.rs b/src/test/run-pass/struct-order-of-eval-1.rs
index db7c73cbfc5..884459cf069 100644
--- a/src/test/run-pass/struct-order-of-eval-1.rs
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/struct-order-of-eval-1.rs
@@ -12,5 +12,5 @@ struct S { f0: ~str, f1: int }
 
 pub fn main() {
     let s = ~"Hello, world!";
-    let _s = S { f0: str::from_slice(s), ..S { f0: s, f1: 23 } };
+    let _s = S { f0: str::to_owned(s), ..S { f0: s, f1: 23 } };
 }
diff --git a/src/test/run-pass/struct-order-of-eval-2.rs b/src/test/run-pass/struct-order-of-eval-2.rs
index 413f185659a..419c4ac3942 100644
--- a/src/test/run-pass/struct-order-of-eval-2.rs
+++ b/src/test/run-pass/struct-order-of-eval-2.rs
@@ -12,5 +12,5 @@ struct S { f0: ~str, f1: ~str }
 
 pub fn main() {
     let s = ~"Hello, world!";
-    let _s = S { f1: str::from_slice(s), f0: s };
+    let _s = S { f1: str::to_owned(s), f0: s };
 }